Lubrication system for superchargers



Feb. 28, 1939. F. F. KISHLINE LUBRICATION SYSTEM FOR SUPERCHARGERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Aug. 7, 1935 Feb. 28, 1939. K|sH| |NE 2,148,821

LUBRICATION SYSTEM FOR SUPERCHARGERS Original Filed Aug. 7, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 A TTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 28, 1939 2,148,82l LUBRJCATION SYSTEM FOR SUPER- """GHARGEBS Y Floyd Ki shline, Detroit, Mich, assignor to G ahama 'emlw er o afiq o r n of M ch an I 4 Claims. (01 184 -6) Lhis invention relates to internal combustion ma e, enlf e cu ir h 9 when il ern lt e pf and has Parti lar e t on to e per ar er -q'n lrup on emrl dl in n i n. with su h ind c i syst mfihe i ev bj ct ein he prer sipn of ew nd we construction which particularly lends itself to q nt y. PWQ E Q- J an c t nued. an Qfiiriiefit rriqe W thou re u rin es ecia a en o whi h a 4 Pari at re which n l- Wear 0 a to. r r requen re l e mainta n ts ifi cy an wh h Qf silwh sirnple and rugged character as to permit its'a s embla end s r di a se bly by e usual types i 1 ara e meehae wi h bu n Po ib i or n erf r n ith ts Pr -er op r n This application is a division" or applicants or er en ins a pl ee en e e e 'fe for internal combustion motors filed. August 7, 35 Seria N0, 5 1 Y W le he. above men n d.. r eee e app k e on is pr mar ly di e ed 0; the me ln e l 0;; as'upercharger on an internal combustion Inotor, the presejnt case is primarily directed tofa no el a un ue ubr a ionf r item br S har ers I Oth r o je ts i clude the. ew 9 a e h r er co s r ct on in in a e ical a e riv a t o e upp end, a t 1 a w mhereer mpell r is secured-and to t w r end, h c a dr en Wo m i e ured the Sh t x endi infunh oken relati nshi be en. t e Ha t and. b n rovide with mean j ie n the bottom of the shaft for controlling, the axial osit n .1- he shaft n the. ts a e ther henrori i n a pe ia f i elmfi between the impeller of the supercharger construction and. its driving shaft so constructed and rran ed w to. e e t e r se in the hub of the impeller in service; the provision of afsuper charger construction for an internal combustion motor including a housing enclosing thqdriVing e ements o th su e ch r e an w ic sin is in open communication with the interior of the motor crank case, together with a novel form f me n or se in the space be w en th WW charger impeller casingand the casing f or the driving mechanism therefor without 'the'ncessity' of employing rubbing surface's'fthe provision: of mea 's'm combination with asupercharger ign peller having a vertically arranged downwardly projecting drive shaft of means for eventing he na sa' e o iquigi fue f om he impel er h us- 118 wr 'wa ly was t sa d shalt; an th provisio o means in c mbi a on with a hol w taken on the: 1in'e4'4 of Fig.3, showing the nio OFFICE supercharger housing in open communioation with th e in terior of the crank case offan internal" coinbus t'ion"n iotor, permitting the casing to breathe without danger oflosing oil particles om w v t ,7 l i,

Other obje cts include the provision of a novel oiling system for a motor si merc'hfl g'er; the pro vision of a motor supercharger 'so constructed. and arranged asto provide a lubricantwll for those bearing surfaces subjected tbgrat s't"pres"- sures in service so that a readily 'avaiiame sup} pl? of, oil provided for such'seijvicfesin'starting up the engine and hefore the oiling system be" cornes operatiye to provide a flow of oil through the supercharger; and the" provision of a supercharg ng a worin and w ee -for driVin'g'the sanief an d SoWQnstruQtd' and arranged as to constantly bathe" the contacting teeth 'of' the whims-ma wheel with astrea'm' of lubricant.

' The above" heing'among the'obj'eptsnf the presentinventiom the same consists in certain novel features or eonarumm and combinations of parts to e hereinafter described with'reference to'the a com any n drawings and then claimed, having above and. other objects'iri View."

"An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown i'n' the a oz'npanymguramfigs; in which:

Fig] l'is a Viewin' sideelevati'o'n of a conventional in-line type of internal 'c'oinbustion'n otor equipped with my improv'efcl supercharger, the lower portion'offthe 'Inotorb'eing'hroken away.

' Fig 2. is a qia'gramr'natic' iew in front elevation of the sarn illustratingthe manner in w'hicl'l the accessory shaft i drii/ en'in con unction with the cam shaft from the cr'ankshait of the motor.

Fig. 3'is an enlarged'frag mentary' top" plan view of the supercharger mounted on the'rnot'o'r but with the Carburetor removed from the top of the' supercharger.

Fig. 4 is v a transverse vertical sectional view rampa e manifold and supercharger.

5 'is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing in cletail'the mounting of the lower end. of the impellershait and the imannerm which it islub'riatedf Big. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View takenion'the line" 8-6 of Fig. l'showi ng' the m n fwh c. the m el er is k d to he o enu cr'tne impeller shaft. U

."7' isan enlarged sectional view taken on we 11 6 -1 ig- 'Wi h b r o of the's case housing broken away to show the interior thereof.

Rig {8 is an enlarged Vertical sectional View taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 4, showing the driving gear shaft journaled in the driving gear housing and cover plate therefor, and the thrust bearings which hold the driving gear positioned axially within its housing.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 9--9 of Fig. 7, showing the details of construction of the intermediate journal bearing for the impeller shaft and the manner of distributing lubricant therearound.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly in elevation and partly in section, taken substantially on the line Ill-4U of Fig. '7 showing the lubricant connections on the driving gear housing cover plate.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken on the line I l-H of Fig. 10, showing the lubricant supply ducts for the driving gear shaft bearings, and the lower impeller shaft bearings.

In the construction shown in the drawings, a conventional type of cylinder in-line internal combustion motor is shown provided with the improved supercharger generally designated at 2| mounted on the crank case thereof and driven by an accessory shaft 22 which also drives water pump 23 and generator 24. The generator 24 is attached to that side of the supercharger driving gear housing opposite to the superchargers attachment to the accessory shaft 22 so that the generator is in reality driven by the drive shaft of the supercharger which in turn is actuated by the accessory shaft as shown more clearly in Fig. 8.

The supercharger, per se, comprises a generally vertically disposed housing, the middle portion 25 of which will be hereafter designated as the impeller shaft housing; the lower portion 26, which will be hereafter referred to as the driving gear housing, and the upper part 27, which will be hereafter referred to as the lower half of the impeller housing. A complementary cover plate or housing 28 is secured to the housing 21 by bolts and cap screws so as to form a suitable enclosure for the impeller of the supercharger. The driving gear housing 26 is provided with a cover plate 30 rigidly secured thereto by cap screws 3|.

The boss 38 is recessed to receive one leg of an angle bracket 31 so that the top surface thereof is substantially flush with or slightly below the surface of the boss 36, said bracket being attached to the boss 36 by countersunk flat head screws 38. The other leg of the bracket 31 is drilled and tapped to receive set screws 39 which are threaded therethrough in position to have their inner protruding ends abut against the driving gear housing 26 for adjustably positioning the supercharger with respect to the accessory shaft and other connection to which the supercharger is attached. Lock nuts 40 are provided on the set screws 39 for securing said screws in adjusted position so that the supercharger may be replaced in such adjusted position in the event of removal for service or the like. The slightly enlarged holes through the lugs 32 permit limited adjustment by the set screws 39 before the cap screws 33 are fully set up.

Means are provided for driving the supercharger and comprise a flexible coupling 4|, one end of which is attached to the accessory shaft 22, and the'other end of which is provided with an interiorly splined hub 42 which telescopes on the complementary splined end 43 of a driving gear shaft 44. A nut 45 is threaded on the reduced threaded end of the shaft and bears against a washer 45 and which in turn abuts against the splined hub 42. The driving gear shaft 44 is provided with an integrally formed radially extending hub 41 medially of its ends to which is secured a drive gear 48 of the cone type by means of a series of cap screws 49.

The end of the shaft 44 opposite to that connected to the accessory shaft is journaled in a removable bushing 50 which is mounted in the depressed end wall 5! of the driving gear housing .26, and the other end of the shaft at the opposite side of the hub 41 is journaled in a bearing 52 mounted in the cover plate 30. A thrust bearing 53 is provided between the inner radially flanged end of the bearing 52 and the hub 41, its location on the shaft being accurately positioned by a series of shims 54, the shims being supplied in variable thicknesses. thrust bearing 53 and extend axially of the shaft with their ends fitting in apertures provided in the hub 4'! so that the thrust bearing is constrained to rotate with the hub. A bearing washer 56 is secured by pins 5'! to the outside of the cover plate 30 and forms one-half of a second thrust bearing, the other half of which comprises a ring or washer 58 which is clamped against a series of variable thickness shims 59 by a reduced inner end 80 of the hub 42.

The outer surface of the hub portion 60 is accurately turned and smoothed so as to be adaptable for having an oil seal Bl bear thereon, the oil seal being carried by a supplementary cover plate 62. With this arrangement opposite sides of the cover plate are impressed by the thrust bearingsand the driving gear 48 is accurately positioned within the housing 26 by the location of the driving gear shaft 44 in its cover plate bearing.

The worm 64 is splined on the lower end of a vertically disposed impeller shaft 65 which is journaled immediately above and below the Worm in the bearings 66 and 61 respectively, and closely adjacent its upper end in a bearing 68 The lower end of the shaft 65 is provided with .a shoulder 69 against which the worm 64 abuts and is held against said shoulder by a nut 10 threaded on the shaft 65 and secured in position by lock washers H. The lower end of the shaft 65 extends below the lower'bearing 61 and is provided with a thrust bearing comprising a washer or apertured disc l2 which is slotted to fit the flattened sides 13 of the shaft so that said Pins 55 are fixed in the washer is rotated with the shaft and is held thereon by a castellated nut 14 secured by a cotter key 15. The upper surface of the washer "l2 bears against a floating washer 16 which is slightly tapered in cross section toward the middle thereof, as shown clearly in Fig. 5, this construction aiding in the lubrication of the bearing by permitting lubricant to be fed outwardly by centrifugal force. The floating washer 16 in turn bears on its upper side against a washer or apertured disc 1'! which is secured to the housing by pins 18 so as to be constrained against rotation.

A cup shaped cover 19 is secured to the housing by cap screws 80 so as to provide a well or reservoir for lubricant in such manner that the shaft thrust bearing is substantially submerged in 111- bricant at all times. An overflow opening 8! is provided so that lubricant may circulate through I passes inwardly through a radially disposed opening 84 to an axially disposed bore 85 of attaching bolt 86, the inner end of which is threaded into the housing. Lubricant passes inwardly from the passage 85 through a bore 31 in the housing to the lower bearing 61.

Axially extending grooves 88 are provided in the lower half of this bearing for conducting lubricant downwardly to the thrust bearing at the lower end of the impeller shaft 65 and which comprises the discs I2, 1.6, and TI. The lower end of the impeller shaft 65 is provided with an axial bore 89, the lower end of which is closed by a plug 90. Radially extending bores 91 are provided at a point medially of the bearing 61 so that lubricant may pass from this hearing inwardly to the axial bore 89, thence upwardly to radial bores 92 which are provided between the lower teeth of the worm and outwardly through radial bores 93 which are provided at the'medial part of the bearing 66. The lower bearing 61 is also provided with a pipe or nozzle 94 which directs a stream of lubricant directly into the teeth of the drive gear 48 as its teeth go into mesh with the worm 64.

The attaching bolt 85 is also provided with radially disposed bores 95 which permit lubricant to pass into a bore 96 formed in a cover plate housing and which leads to the bearing 52, which bearing is peripherally grooved so that the lubricant passes completely around it. The shaft 44, at a point in registry with the peripheral groove in the bearing 52, is provided with a radially extending bore 91, the inner end of which communicates with an axially extending bore 98 which is drilled eccentrically in the shaft 44 and the outer end of which is closed by plug 99. At a point adjacent the plug 99 another radially extending bore I is provided which permits the lubricant to pass from the bore 98 outwardly to the bearing surfaces of the removable bearing 50.

The fitting 83 is also provided with a lead pipe IOI which extends upwardly, as shown clearly in Fig. '7, and conducts lubricant through a suitable fitting I102; threaded in the upper partof the impeller shaft housing 25 to the upper bearing 68. The upper bearing 68 at its lower end is provided with a'cylindrical skirt I03 which is in spaced relation to the impeller shaft 65, so that lubricant draining out of the bearing 68 and being thrown off of the shaft at its shoulder I04 is collected on the inner side of the skirt I03 and drains therefrom in relatively large drops.

It has been found in practice that due to the extremely high speed of rotation of the impeller shaft, lubricant draining out of the upper bearing is thrown off of the shoulder I04 in the form of a" very fine mist having the appearance of blue smoke, which mist is readily drawn upwardly through-the breather space provided around the shaft and opening in the top of the housing and is fed with the fuel into the motor. Lubricant drainingfrom the skirt I03 drops downwardly in the space I which is provided in the housing 25 around the shaft 65 and passes through a drain hole I06 into the drivinggear housing. All lubricant from the journaled'parts thus drains into the driving gear housing 26 which serves as a reservoir for the lubricant and maintains a lubricant level therein which partially submerges the gear teeth on the lower part of the driving gear 48 so that these teeth are at all times lubricated when the motor is first started. After normal operation, lubricant is maintained in the housing 26 at the proper desired level by reason of the overflow openings I01 which are provided in registry with each other in the motor crank case housing and supercharger driving gear housing, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4.

In practice, it has been found impossible and impracticable to effect a seal around the impeller shaft at a point where it passes into the impeller housing, and therefore means have been provided for effectively excluding lubricant of the bearing 08 from passing into the impeller housing and comprises an inverted saucer shaped oil slinger I08 tightly fitted on the shaft 65 between the upper bearing 68 and a shoulder I09, formed on the shaft, the peripheral edge of the oil slinger being curved downwardly and housed within an annular groove H0 formed in the upper end of the housing. The floor of the groove Il0 progressively slopes downwardly so that oil passing thereinto from the inner surface of the oil slinger is drained around the shaft and then downwardly through the breather opening I I I as shown more clearly in Fig. 4.

For convenience of manufacturing, the upper end of the housing is closed by a plate I I2 which is secured to the housing by screws I I3; said plate forming one wall of the impeller housing and being provided at its center with an opening through which the upper end of the impeller shaft 55 extends. The upwardly extending end H4 of the impeller shaft is frusto-conical in shape and provided at diametrically opposite sides with key -i ways H5 for receiving keys II 6, said keys extending into rather loosely fitting slots I I1 formed in the hub of an impeller H8. The impeller H8 is in the form of a disc having a lower plane side, and an upper side provided with radially disposed, axially extending fins or blades H0 which are of decreasing height from the hub of the impeller outwardly.

The tapered end I I4 of the shaft and the complementary hole formed in the impeller hub are disposed at a relatively steep angle so that tightening of the nut I20, by which the impeller is secured to the impeller shaft, will not exert an undue bursting strain on the impeller. However,

the angle and fit of the impeller on the tapered shaft is such that when the nut I29 is securely tightened, the impeller is driven substantially entirely from its frictional fit on the shaft rather than through the keys M6, which keys are provided more as a safety precaution than as a regular driving means for the impeller.

The under plane side of the impeller H8 is provided with an annular groove I2I which surrounds the shaft 65 in spaced relation thereto and the impeller is provided with axially extending bores I22 which provide communication with the groove I2I. With this arrangement, liquid fuel, which might tend to drain inwardly toward the shaft between the underside of the impeller and its adjacent housing, is entrapped in the groove I2I and drawn upwardly through the bores I22 where it is mixed in with the fuel passing through the impeller housing.

, The top or cover plate 28 of the impeller housing is provided with a water jacket opening I23 of varying cross sectional area and the point where the water jacket has the greatest cross sectional area is located adjacent to the place where the impeller suction pressure is the lowest. Water from the internal combustion motor .cooling system pump 23 is supplied to the water jacket I23 by feed pipe I24.

A down draft carburetor I25, as shown in Fig. l, is mounted on top of the impeller housing so as to discharge its fuel'downwardly through the central opening I26 provided in the impeller housing cover 28 so that the fuel is drawn downwardly on to the top surface of the impeller II 8 from which it is thrown outwardly by the impeller blades H9 into the collecting ring I27 which is formed beyond the outer peripheral edge of the impeller partly in the lower housing 21 and partly in the upper housing or over plate 28.

The upper end of the impeller shaft housing 25 is provided with a breather I23 which permits air to pass inwardly into the opening I29 which partially surrounds theupper end of the housing and into the annular space I39 formed underneath the plate I i2. From the annular space I30 the air passes upwardly around the shaft into the impeller housing, thence outwardly to the groove IN and then through the bores I22. This arrangement provides a positive flow or breathing of air into the impeller housing independently of air coming in through the carburetor so that the carburetor adjustment has to be made so as to compensate for this additional amount of air.

Water passes out of the jacket I23 through a pipe and hose connection I3I, as shown in Fig. 3, and into a water jacket I32 formed in the fuel duct I33 which carries the fuel from the supercharger to the motor intake manifold I34.

In the operation of this device rotation of the motor crankshaft I49 through the medium of chain belt I rotates the cam shaft I5I and accessory shaft gear wheel I52 which is rigidly secured to the accessory shaft 22. Rotation of the shaft 22 causes the drive gear 48 to rotate the worm 64, thus rotating the impeller H8.

Rotation of the impeller draws fuel downwardly through the carburetor I25, and supercharges it outwardly through the collecting duct I21 into the cross-over duct I33, thence to the intake manifold I 34 of the internal combustion motor.

When the supercharger is first assembled on the motor, a quantity of lubricant is introduced into the casing at 25 through an inspection plate I53 which is secured to the housing 25 by cap screws I54 so that the thrust bearing at the lower end of the impeller shaft and some of the teeth on drive gear 48 are submerged in oil, thus insuring lubrication of the driving gear teeth immediately upon starting of the motor. As the motor turns over and oil is driven through the motor lubricating system, lubricant under pressure will be supplied to the supercharger through the supply pipe 82 and thence into both bearings of the driving gear shaft as well as the three bearingsof the impeller shaft. In addition thereto, as soon as the motor starts, a stream of oil will be projected out of the pipe 94 directly into the face of the teeth of the driv ing gear and worm as they come into engagement.

The arrangement of the supercharger and cross-over duct I33 is such that the floor of the fuel conducting passageway from the supercharger to the intake manifold is on a continual decline so that liquid fuel which may condense on the walls of the cross-over duct can not form in puddles, but'drains at all times and at all places from the floor of the supercharger to the intake manifold I 35.

As shown in Fig. 8, the end of the driving gear shaft opposite to that connected to the accessory shaft is flattened, as at I55 so as to be embraced between parallel fingers I56 of the armature shaft of a generator I51 which is secured to the housing 25 by cap screws I58.

Formal changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the-invention described without departing from the spirit and substance of the broad invention, the scope of which is'commensurate with the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a supercharger construction, a housing having an impeller compartment and an impeller shaft compartment separated by a wall, a shaft journaled in said housing and extending into the impeller compartment through an opening in said Wall, said shaft having substantial clearance with the edges of said opening, an impeller fixed on said shaft within the impeller compartment, an oil slinger snugly fitted to said shaft between said wall and shaft journal, and in spaced relation to said wall, means for-supplying air to the space between said oil slinger and wall where- U by said impeller will cause a flow of air into said impeller compartment through the opening around said shaft where it extends through said wall.

2. In a supercharger a substantially vertically disposed impeller shaft, an impeller on said shaft, a journal bearing for such shaft adjacent said impeller, an oil slinger fitted to said shaft between said bearing and impeller, said oil slinger having a downwardly inclined peripheral edge A and an annular trough surrounding said shaft into which extends the peripheral edge of said oil slinger.

3. In a supercharger, a housing, an impeller shaft journaled in said housing, a worm on said shaft, a gear for driving said worm, and a thrust bearing for resisting axial thrust of said shaft, said bearing including a disc fixed to the housing, a disc fixed to rotate'with the shaft, and a floating disc between said fixed discs.

4. In a supercharger, a housing, a substantially vertically disposed impeller shaft journaled in said housing, a worm on said shaft, a gear for driving said worm, a journaled bearing for said shaft below said worm, means for supplying lubricant under pressure to the medial part of said bearing, said bearing having an axially disposed groove in its bearing face extending from the medial part thereof downwardly to the lower end thereof, and a thrust bearingv for said shaft located below said journaled bearing whereby lubricant passing down said journaled bearing groove is supplied to said thrust bearing.

FLOYD F. KISHLINE. 

